Photos by Taylor Kelliher, Joshua Trujillo, Connor Surdi

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Laxman Narasimhan took the helm of Starbucks as the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/laxman-narasimhan-assumes-role-of-starbucks-chief-executive-officer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new chief executive officer</a> on Monday, but before that, he spent almost six months being mentored by Howard Schultz, meeting with hundreds of partners (employees) around the world, earning his barista certification, and diving into the world of coffee. As Starbucks welcomes Narasimhan to his new role as ceo at today’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders, we take a look back at the people he has met across the company and around the world.&nbsp;

“It’s been a remarkable experience for me – from our origins, where we buy coffee from over a half a million farmers, through our roasting plans, our distribution centers, and into our stores,” Narasimhan said. “This immersion has been an incredible journey and a gift.”&nbsp;

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Narasimhan was welcomed as incoming chief executive officer of Starbucks with a coffee tasting in the place where it all began – at <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/store-tour-inside-1912-pike-place-seattle-usa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seattle’s Pike Place market store</a>. Soon after, he met&nbsp; Starbucks partners <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/incoming-starbucks-ceo-meets-partners-at-open-forum-shares-personal-journey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">at his first open forum</a> on Sept. 8, 2022, three weeks before he officially joined the company Oct. 1. When Schultz, then interim chief executive officer, introduced Narasimhan to partners, he said that “the leader of Starbucks, the future of the company, must be steeped in humility and must have an innate understanding of humanity.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Schultz said as he got to know Narasimhan, he said he was stuck by his experience and leadership qualities. “I know we're going to be in great hands and I can promise you he is going to make us a better company.”&nbsp;

Listening and learning&nbsp;

Narasimhan worked with Schultz to create a unique immersion to learn about the Starbucks culture and the business.&nbsp;

“This time with Howard in stores, in the roasting plants, with partners, with investors, with customers – it's an incredible opportunity for me to be learning from one of the best entrepreneurs in the world,” Narasimhan said.&nbsp;

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Narasimhan began immersion as incoming ceo by earning his barista certification with four weeks of in-store training and visits to more than 30 stores around the world – working the drive-thru window, learning the point-of-sale system and perfecting the topping of a Pumpkin Spice Latte.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I thought it was very important for me to put myself in the shoes of the partners and really understand what they do and how they do it,” Narasimhan said. “There were things I learned through experience in all of this. It taught me a lot.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alli Mendoza, a barista in Houston, was one of the partners who trained Narasimhan on the espresso bar. “People ask me what it’s like to train the ceo, like ‘Really, how was it?’” Mendoza said. “He loved interacting with people, he loves laughing and making people laugh. He just wants to learn and be a ceo who’s there for us.”&nbsp;

Coffee &amp; connection&nbsp;

In his visits to Starbucks stores, Narasimhan sat down with store managers, district managers and regional directors for their input and guidance. He said, “One piece of advice I hope to really live by was actually a question I was asked by a terrific store manager: ‘Did you earn your green apron today?’ It really got me reflective and thinking about how I could end each day in the future with that question, and hope that most days, the answer would be ‘yes.’”&nbsp;

The world of coffee&nbsp;

Narasimhan experienced the journey of Starbucks coffee from the first 10 feet to the last, starting from the fields where coffee is grown (such as Hacienda Alsacia above), to roasting plants in the United States and Europe, and Starbucks stores in London, Amsterdam, Japan, and the United States. Along the way, Narasimhan sipped countless cups of coffee. His favorite? Coffee from Guatemala.&nbsp;

Embracing innovation&nbsp;

Whether it’s hand-delivering a new cold foam blender to baristas in Seattle or testing out the virtual reality training for the new Clover Vertica™ in Minneapolis, Narasimhan has taken a hands-on approach to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/recipe-for-reinvention-starbucks-unveils-innovations-for-better-customer-barista-experiences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new technologies to help create a better store experience</a> for partners and customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Celebrating with partners is one of the best part parts of the ceo job at Starbucks. In November, he attended his first <a href="https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/press/2022/starbucks-green-apron-partners-showcase-their-coffee-craft-and-skill-at-the-latin-america-and-caribbean-barista-championship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barista Championship</a> at Hacienda Alsacia recognizing Starbucks coffee craft and expertise. In December, Narasimhan traveled to Arizona State University to honor the 850 Starbucks partners in the Fall 2022 graduating class who earned bachelor’s degrees through Arizona State University with the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/careers/working-at-starbucks/education/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks College Achievement Plan</a>. In February, he spent time with partners in the Milan Roastery for the debut of <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/starbucks-oleato-olive-oil-meets-coffee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Oleato</a> beverages.&nbsp;

“On a very personal level, I’m going to be very connected to our partners and to our customers in the experience that we deliver – human connection,” Narasimhan said. 

Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Narasimhan led his first Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders, in Seattle, on March 23, joined by board chair Mellody Hobson (right) and the Starbucks senior leadership team, including Zabrina Jenkins (left) and AJ Jones II (second from left). &nbsp;

“These past six months have enabled me to listen, to learn, and to think about what the future of Starbucks looks like and what we need to do to get there,” Narasimhan said. “As the new ceo&nbsp;of Starbucks, I am confident that I know our business and our people well, but I will continue to learn and I'm excited to continue earning my green apron every day.”&nbsp;

As Starbucks welcomes Narasimhan to his new role as ceo at the Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders, we take a look back at the people he has met across the company and around the world.

Laxman Narasimhan’s immersive training – from Starbucks barista to ceo

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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Starbucks Corporation

Photos: Laxman Narasimhan’s immersive training – from Starbucks barista to ceo

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The District Manager+ Leadership Experience, attended by 2,000, marks a pivotal moment in the Starbucks Reinvention plan.

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Anne Gamache, a Starbucks district manager in Alaska, thinks a lot about wait times: specifically, how long it takes for cars to get in and out of the drive-thru lanes at each of the 13 Starbucks stores in her portfolio. And though there might be practical reasons – like the snow and bigger cars in her home state – Gamache is also a bottom-line, results-oriented person who’d like to move customers through faster.

“Seventy percent of the business is drive-thrus. We have long wait times,” Gamache said. “I can make all the excuses… but it does come back to instilling belief in my (store) partners (employees) that we can navigate our own complex unique situation because we are the business owners.”

That theme – ownership of the business and accountability to results – headlined the Starbucks District Manager+ Leadership Experience in Seattle this week, a two-day gathering of almost 2,000 company retail leaders from across the U.S. and Canada. They were charged with bringing to life Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/starbucks-enters-new-era-of-growth-driven-by-an-unparalleled-reinvention-plan/">Reinvention</a>, a plan to invest billions into the business and modernize the Starbucks experience for both partners and customers.

“The future of Starbucks is sitting in this room,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chief executive officer, at the closing session at the Seattle Convention Center ballroom, after attending breakout sessions alongside retail partners.

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The event marked a shift, from Reinvention as a concept to implementing the first stages of execution. Starbucks leaders had spent the last six months <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/reinventing-starbucks/">listening to partners across the country and co-creating</a> with them possibilities for a better future, amidst global economic uncertainties, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing labor and staffing issues.

“Gatherings like the one we’re having right now, we don’t have these types of gatherings often,” said Sara Trilling, executive vice president, Starbucks North America. “We come together like this at our most pivotal moments when it’s time to break from what’s behind us and connect and lock arms on what’s ahead.

“What we’re talking about in terms of Reinvention is not a tweak. It’s a leap,” Trilling said on Wednesday, the first day of the conference. “A reset of the way we’ve been doing things will require a tremendous amount of courage. The time to reset is now. Today is Day 1 for all of us.”

District managers play critical and unique role at Starbucks

Jon Liechty, Starbucks senior vice president of operations services, told attendees, “If that accountability makes you squirm in your seat a little, know you are not alone. We want those good butterflies, the sweaty palms that come with stretch goals that require our very best to achieve.”

Through interactive workshops, discussions and reflection time, and access to top executives including Schultz and Laxman Narasimhan, Starbucks incoming chief executive officer, the goal was to increase the company’s leadership capacity, especially at the district manager (DM) level. Sessions covered topics like digital body language, the art of leadership, different relationship styles and having hard conversations.

DMs, who made up about three-fourths of the attendees, play an important and unique role at Starbucks. They operate at the day-to-day epicenter of the company’s strategic initiatives, the customers’ needs and the store partner experience – all while being responsible for driving bottom-line business results like revenue and faster drive-thru wait times. On average,&nbsp;each&nbsp;district manager&nbsp;is&nbsp;responsible for&nbsp;running a multi-million dollar business and overseeing about 400 partners.

For Gamache, the company’s well-being is personal. She started at Starbucks as a barista 18 years ago, after having immigrated to the U.S. from Germany.

“I’ve always been invested. I have that responsibility. I feel that,” she said. “I never thought that this was going to be my career. I walked in barely speaking English 18 years ago, and the partners that took me in, it was life changing. I want that to be the experience that my partners have (in the stores I manage).”

Saro Alamian also started as a Starbucks barista after graduating high school. He moved from Syria when he was 12 years old. Now a district manager in Burbank, California, Alamian said the leadership experience conference came at just the right time, after several tough years as a leader.

“There’s nothing really inspirational about COVID protocols, modified hours, the operational stuff,” Alamian said. “When you have to go through all of that stuff, it drains you from being able to be inspirational. So the conversations (here at the leadership experience) were exactly what I needed. That inspiration is going to translate to my leaders (back in California).”

“There were leaders before us, who were in our position right now, and they had to make decisions and they had to be courageous and be inspirational,” Alamian said. “And that built the baseline for who we are today, and today is what’s going to build the baseline for who we are 20 years from now. We’re the ones navigating through the challenges.”

Lorena Nunez, a district manager in Boston, joined Starbucks as a store manager in 2007. When the financial global recession hit soon after, she said she was “in a threat state” just trying to learn the business.

“Whereas this time around, I play a really big role in the reinvention of our company and where we want to go,” Nunez said. “We’ve been here before and we know we can do it again and we can build ourselves up.”

She said that nine out of 10 store managers (in her portfolio) have been in their roles less than a year, “so how do we help them understand and live our mission and values? We can’t accomplish anything without our baristas, store managers, shift supervisors, all the partners in the store. So, now I’m coming back with, how am I living out our mission and values for them? They need to feel seen, heard, and they need to feel valued, because they are.”

Founder Howard Schultz closed the event with a tough-love, tell-the-truth “family meeting.” He talked about how the company grew from 11 stores and 100 employees in 1987, while building a different kind of company. It was the first privately owned corporation at the time to offer stock options to every single employee and comprehensive health insurance, even to part-time workers.

But after 51 years of growth, success is not an entitlement, he told the audience at the closing session.

“The future of Starbucks is whether or not we’re going to understand what is at stake,” Schultz said. “Starbucks coffee is not entitled to our customers business unless we earn it.

“I sat here for two days, so proud, feeling so fortunate to be part of this, so fortunate to see the history of the company unfold this way. So fortunate and so blessed to be part of a company that has the quality of people in this room. I know how hard it’s been to build Starbucks. I know the sacrifice that so many people have made to get us to this point. And I also know what’s possible.

“This is your company. Protect it. Preserve it. Enhance it.”<a id="_msocom_1"></a><a id="_msocom_4"></a>

The District Manager+ Leadership Experience, attended by 2,000, marks a pivotal moment in the Starbucks Reinvention plan.

‘Today is Day 1’: Starbucks district managers are challenged, inspired at leadership event

‘Today is Day 1’: Starbucks retail leaders are challenged, inspired at leadership event

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By Linda Dahlstrom, photos by Joshua Trujillo and Taylor Kelliher

It wasn’t what you’d typically expect from a letter of congratulations.

Last week, a former professor of Laxman Narasimhan’s reached out after hearing that he’d been named the incoming chief executive officer of Starbucks to say it was great news – but wanted to remind him that, all things considered, the probability of it was “practically zero,” said Narasimhan on Wednesday.

“I probably shouldn’t be here,” Narasimhan told a crowd of thousands of Starbucks partners who gathered virtually and in person at the company’s headquarters, the Seattle Support Center, to meet him. “I should not be here but I am. The world has handed me some really tough things, but resilience defines me. We win from within.”

Narasimhan, 55, has a hugely impressive resume, including nearly 30 years of leading and advising global consumer-facing brands. Most recently, he was ceo of Reckitt, the multinational consumer health, hygiene and nutrition company. He has degrees from a number of universities including an MBA from the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

But before all of that, Narasimhan was a boy growing up in Pune, India whose family struggled with grief so deep that it can rend the heart. His sister died before he was born and his older brother, Ram, died at the age of 8 when Narasimhan was only 6. He remembers waking in the night at neighbors' houses to discover that his brother’s health had taken a turn and his parents had left him in the care of others while they focused on his brother.

The family had spent their savings on health care for Ram and so after he died, his father devoted himself to his career. Narasimhan's mother, meanwhile, decided to go back to school to pursue teaching. For her, becoming a grade school teacher was a way to be around children, and also to serve the larger community. 

When he was 19, his father had a heart attack and the cardiologist told Narasimhan he should drop out of school to go to work for the family since his father couldn't any longer. His mother wouldn’t hear of it. “She said there is no way you are doing that. We’re going to live off my salary as a primary school teacher,” he said.

His father died when he was 22. In graduate school, Narasimhan sometimes struggled to make ends meet, as many students do. While studying in Germany one summer, he sometimes wasn't able to afford to eat three meals a day, but he persevered and found solutions. Eventually he went on to earn multiple degrees. After all, that determination to keep going was something he’d seen many times from his parents.

“I’m an extremely positive, optimistic person," he said. "It’s not about what happens to me but how I react."

‘An innate understanding of humanity’

When Howard Schultz, Starbucks ceo, introduced Narasimhan at the event on Wednesday, he said that “the leader of Starbucks, the future of the company, must be steeped in humility and must have an innate understanding of humanity.” As he got to know Narasimhan, he said he was stuck by his experience and leadership qualities, but that it’s his heart and respect for others that made him “know we're going to be in great hands and I can promise you is going to make us a better company.

Narasimhan will officially join the company on Oct. 1 and will spend the next six months as an apprentice to Schultz as he learns the business and the company culture. But he’s going to start by doing a multi-day barista training, he said.

On a visit earlier this week to the original Starbucks store, located at Pike Place Market, he made his first beverage (“It was stressful!,” he said) and held the camera to take photos of tourists posing in front of the historic store. Sara Kelly, executive vice president and chief partner officer, who led the Q&amp;A with Narasimhan said she wondered if later the tourists will reflect back and realize the significance of who their photographer was.

Narasimhan describes himself as “relentlessly curious” and said he's eager to learn from partners. He said he's fallen in love with Starbucks, especially as he watches partners serve customers in the stores. “The humanity, the warmth. (Partners) make them feel special in that moment and that’s really what this brand is about.”

Narasimhan is relocating to Seattle with his family, which includes his wife of 29 years and his mother, who became somewhat of a celebrity at his last company when she would inadvertently crash Zoom calls he was leading, including one where she told him to take out the trash. He and his wife also have two adult children who live in the United States, meaning the family will all be back in the same country after many years of traversing the globe.

He said he’s looking forward to getting to know his new extended family of 400,000 Starbucks partners around the world who serve 100 million customers a month. Each cup served, said Narasimhan, is an opportunity for connection. It shows “the magnitude of the impact that we can have in driving connection in a world where we are often unconnected,” he said. “It just goes to show you the potential we have is enormous and there’s a lot of humanity in connecting over a cup.”

At the heart of it all is the Starbucks mission, to nurture and inspire the human spirit, one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time, he said. As he leans into his future, he’s thinking about all those who helped him get where he is, against so many odds, his family’s belief in him and all that’s ahead he has to learn and experience alongside Starbucks partners.

“One thing I’ve learned is that, miraculously, when you open yourself up to destiny, all the people you’ve connected with along the way come and aid you. People really matter.”&nbsp;

From left to right: Laxman standing with smiling Howard inside Starbucks Reserve store

Laxman Narasimhan spoke to thousands of Starbucks partners on Wednesday in Seattle about connection, perseverance and his mom crashing Zoom calls.

Incoming Starbucks ceo meets partners at open forum, shares personal journey

‘Resilience defines me’: Incoming Starbucks ceo meets partners at open forum, shares personal journey

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Howard Schultz will continue as interim ceo until April 1, 2023 and serve as an advisor to Narasimhan through calendar 2023 while remaining on Starbucks Board of Directors.

SEATTLE (September 1, 2022) – Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced that Laxman Narasimhan will become the company’s next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors. Narasimhan will join Starbucks as incoming ceo on October 1, 2022 after relocating from London to the Seattle area and will work closely with Howard Schultz, interim ceo, before assuming the ceo role and joining the Board on April 1, 2023.

Narasimhan brings nearly 30 years of experience leading and advising global consumer-facing brands. Known for his considerable operational expertise, he has a proven track record in developing purpose-led brands. Building on companies’ histories, he has succeeded in rallying talent to deliver on future ambitions by driving consumer-centric and digital innovations. Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of Reckitt, a FTSE-12 listed multinational consumer health, hygiene and nutrition company, where he led the company through a major strategic transformation and a return to sustainable growth.

“Laxman is an inspiring leader. His deep, hands-on experience driving strategic transformations at global consumer-facing businesses makes him the ideal choice to accelerate Starbucks growth and capture the opportunities ahead of us. His understanding of our culture and values, coupled with his expertise as a brand builder, innovation champion, and operational leader will be true differentiators as we position Starbucks for the next 50 years, generating value for all our stakeholders. On behalf of the entire Board, I am thrilled to welcome Laxman as Starbucks next ceo,” said Mellody Hobson, Independent Starbucks Board of Directors chair.

During the transition period, Narasimhan will be fully immersed in the company, spending time with Schultz and the management team, partners and customers and gaining in-depth exposure to the brand, company culture, and Reinvention plan. This will initially include Starbucks store immersions, visiting manufacturing plants and coffee farms, connecting with partners around the globe as well as Starbucks long term business partners.

Schultz will remain in the role of interim ceo during this transition period, following which he will continue as a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors. He will remain closely involved with the company’s Reinvention and act as an ongoing advisor to Narasimhan.

“When I learned about Laxman’s desire to relocate, it became apparent that he is the right leader to take Starbucks into its next chapter. He is uniquely positioned to shape this work and lead the company forward with his partner-centered approach and demonstrated track record of building capabilities and driving growth in both mature and emerging markets. As I have had the opportunity to get to know him, it has become clear that he shares our passion of investing in humanity and in our commitment to our partners, customers, and communities. The perspectives he brings will be a strong asset as we build on our heritage in this new era of greater well-being. I greatly look forward to our partnership over the coming months and years,” said Schultz.

“Starbucks commitment to uplift humanity through connection and compassion has long distinguished the company, building an unrivaled, globally admired brand that has transformed the way we connect over coffee. I am humbled to be joining this iconic company at such a pivotal time, as the Reinvention and investments in the partner and customer experiences position us to meet the changing demands we face today and set us up for an even stronger future,” said Narasimhan. “I look forward to working closely with Howard, the Board, and the entire leadership team – and to listening and learning from Starbucks partners – as we collectively build on this work to lead the company into its next chapter of growth and impact.”

Previously, Narasimhan held various leadership roles at PepsiCo, including as global chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for the company’s long-term strategy and digital capabilities. He also served as ceo of the company’s Latin America, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa operations, and previously as the ceo of PepsiCo Latin America, and the cfo of PepsiCo Americas Foods. Prior to PepsiCo, Narasimhan was a senior partner at McKinsey &amp; Company, where he focused on its consumer, retail and technology practices in the U.S., Asia and India and led the firm’s thinking on the future of retail.

Narasimhan is also a trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, served as a member of the UK Prime Minister's Build Back Better Council, and is a member of Verizon’s Board of Directors. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, University of Pune, India. He has an MA in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at The University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

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Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 34,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at stories.starbucks.com or <a href="http://www.starbucks.com">www.starbucks.com</a>.

A collage of images on the left, Starbucks store Pike Place Market, in the center Starbucks new ceo Laxman, on the right a coffee cup and two female partners smiling wearing

Howard Schultz will continue as interim ceo until April 1, 2023 and serve as an advisor to Narasimhan through calendar 2023 while remaining on Starbucks Board of Directors.

Starbucks Names Laxman Narasimhan as Next Chief Executive Officer

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Partner feedback from the events will inform the company’s future investments in its people and business operations

In his first week back as Starbucks ceo, Howard Schultz visited multiple cities to kick off a series of collaboration sessions designed to empower partners (employees) from all levels to help co-create solutions and reimagine the company’s future.&nbsp;

During stops in Phoenix, Chicago, Long Beach and San Jose – partners offered Schultz and company leaders a taste of the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of their experiences during a disruptive era within and outside of Starbucks walls.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Some of the hot topics emerging from the sessions include training, culture, technology, safety and wanting to rebuild greater connection with each other. In Long Beach, Schultz shared an upsetting experience that illustrates his <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-ceo-restoring-the-trust-and-belief-of-our-partners/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">concerns with union organizers</a> intentionally and aggressively sowing divisions within the company while “attempting to sell a very different view of what Starbucks should be.”&nbsp;

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What partners are telling us in early collaboration sessions:&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I think the admittance that Starbucks is pointing the finger at themselves and saying ‘We’re sorry, and we’re going to do better’ is THE first step in a lot of partners regaining trust.” &nbsp;

“I am cared for, [so] I can go now out and care for others... that’s what I want to do.”&nbsp;

“Our company needs to evolve.” &nbsp;

“We say we value our people, we value our customers, we value our culture. And yet we don’t have time for any of it, we don’t have time to prioritize it.” &nbsp;

“I thoroughly believe that if we build up the partners, the partners will build up the customers.” &nbsp;

&nbsp;“[T]he only thing that gave me joy in the midst of everything going on outside of work was being that light to people and to drive out the fear with our love for one another.”&nbsp;

“We can have this great vision but if our partners don’t see it, it’s going to be extremely hard.” &nbsp;

“You’re here, you’re listening to us. I mean you, literally are here in person, so that makes me super excited and proud. It’s really special and important.”&nbsp;

“The biggest change we can make, is somehow being able to slow down our work while still being able to deliver on everything we are doing right now.” &nbsp;

“I think some of the people who are pushing for some of these other things don’t understand, haven’t worked out there for other companies. They don’t understand that Starbucks paid them more than what legally they had to do. They fed us. They gave us beverages every day. They took care of us.” &nbsp;

&nbsp;“I can make somebody feel they belong. I can make someone feel welcome. Even if they don’t have that at home, or whatever their situation is outside. We have the power to do that in the four walls that we have.” &nbsp;

Anatomy of a collaboration session&nbsp;

Collaboration sessions are intimate, honest and authentic conversations among partners from all levels of the company. In this space, all participants – including our ceo, store managers, assistant store managers and baristas – are on equal footing. With a facilitator in the room to help connect ideas, Schultz is also joined by a rotating list of company leaders. The feedback we receive from partners will play a critical role in informing our investments in partner experiences and business operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As you can see in the visuals from the first few sessions, these groups are small and include 20 to 30 partners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Each session begins with a coffee tasting followed by three sections:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Opening. A “Partner Playback” poster is set up in the space where the session is taking place. One column outlines what we’ve heard; a second column plays back what must be addressed with partners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Partner-led ideas. Participants help to surface ideas and bring our next chapter to life through moving their chairs to face the wall in a semi-circle. They write their answers on stickies and post to a large scroll of paper adhered horizontally to the wall. Dots are used to upvote and discuss.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Closing. The group reflects on the day’s questions. Schultz and senior leaders reiterate that partners are at the forefront of reimagining the company’s future. Feedback from partners will be incorporated into an announcement on May 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Why are we doing this?&nbsp;

The collaboration sessions follow Schultz’s announcement on April 4 that Starbucks would immediately stop stock repurchases and instead invest more significantly in our partners and our stores. He’s been vocal and transparent about what he views as missteps the company has made in recent years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Already, the first collaboration sessions are proving to be an incredibly rich and impactful tool for reinforcing the culture and the promise of Starbucks. Those partners who have contributed so far – and the thousands more whom company leaders plan to meet in the coming weeks – will be seen, heard and treated as collaborators.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Together, we are co-creating a new future for Starbucks based on inclusion, building trust, and always doing what’s right.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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We’re dedicating the coming months to hearing thousands of Starbucks partners share their stories, their solutions and their big ideas for the company’s future.

Inside collaboration sessions with Starbucks ceo Howard Schultz and partners

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Starbucks ceo Howard Schultz tells all U.S. Store Managers, “We will become the best version of Starbucks by co-creating our future directly as partners. And we will strengthen the Starbucks community by upholding each other’s dreams; upholding the standards and rituals of the company; celebrating partner individuality and voice; and upholding behaviors of mutual respect and dignity.”&nbsp;

We have much to discuss tomorrow after my first week back at Starbucks and the thousands of connections I’ve already had with partners across the U.S. and China.&nbsp;

With significant pressures leading to the fracturing of our partner and customer experiences, I’ve been transparent about our missteps and the reason for my return – to reimagine Starbucks – built on our core values and guiding principles. I have complete confidence that together we will restore the trust and belief of our partners and deliver an elevated Starbucks Experience to our partners and customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As I shared <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/our-best-days-are-in-front-of-us-howard-schultz-shares-vision-for-starbucks-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on Monday</a>, a first order of business was to stop stock repurchases so we have the opportunity to invest more in our partners and stores. Since then, I have been meeting with partners at both large open forums and intimate, immersive <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/week-in-pictures-partners-begin-co-creating-starbucks-next-chapter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collaboration sessions</a> across the country to get underneath the challenges in the company that need to be addressed.

As an opening moment in the collaboration sessions, we showed a poster that framed a set of issues we have been hearing from partners. This led to discussion in which partners have been open, at times raw with emotion, and clear in their aspirations for themselves and the company. By providing space for the needed dialogue, we have been capturing a treasure trove of perspectives, solutions and big ideas as we reimagine the future of Starbucks, together.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The vast majority of partners believe in the heritage, traditions and rituals of Starbucks. As leaders in the company, we must embrace our newest partners who do not yet know the history, culture and intention of the company that goes way beyond the last few years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As one long-standing store manager said to me: “With 80% of baristas being partners less than a year, we have to do better to teach and share how we started and why we do what we do while better supporting each and every partner.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

This is a powerful statement encouraging more accountability from all of us to lead and nurture our partners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We will become the best version of Starbucks by co-creating our future directly as partners. And we will strengthen the Starbucks community by upholding each other’s dreams; upholding the standards and rituals of the company; celebrating partner individuality and voice; and upholding behaviors of mutual respect and dignity.&nbsp;

We plan to move forward constructively with all Starbucks partners.&nbsp; However, we must not be distracted by the different vision being put forward by union organizers at some Starbucks stores.&nbsp; And while not all the partners supporting unionization are colluding with outside union forces, the critical point is that I do not believe conflict, division and dissension – which has been a focus of union organizing – benefits Starbucks or our partners.&nbsp;

Our collaboration sessions have not been without efforts at disruption by union organizers. During a session in Long Beach, a partner captured <a href="https://youtu.be/1YwTsNam864" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a raw moment</a> in which I explain what happened in the middle of a memorial for a deceased partner in Chicago. It was upsetting. I go on to explain the personal responsibility I feel as I return to reinvent the company I founded – one where our people are never left behind but rather always propelled forward.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Put simply, the law gives our partners a right to organize, and it also protects the right to work without having a union. I have learned that only a very small fraction (less than 1%) of more than 200,000 Starbucks partners in the U.S. have voted for unionization, and in union elections that have occurred at Starbucks stores, roughly 65% of Starbucks partners in these elections have not voted at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Going forward it will be important for all of you to recognize that outside labor unions are attempting to sell a very different view of what Starbucks should be. In stores where any union election occurs, it is important for all partners to have a voice – by voting – because otherwise these important rights may be dictated by what a minority of partners actually support. You have resources available to you to ensure partners <a href="https://one.starbucks.com/faq/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get the facts</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With our resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and innovation, we will invest our resources to reinvent the company, meeting our partners and customers where they are as we journey to the future. I am looking forward to our time together at tomorrow’s WP Live event.&nbsp;

Onward as partners,&nbsp; Howard&nbsp;

Howard Schultz with Starbucks partners looking at a white board with sticky notes

Starbucks ceo Howard Schultz tells all U.S. Store Managers, “We will become the best version of Starbucks by co-creating our future directly as partners. And we will strengthen the Starbucks community by upholding each other’s dreams."

Starbucks CEO: Restoring the trust and belief of our partners

Starbucks CEO: Restoring the trust and belief of our partners

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Howard Schultz, who returned to Starbucks as chief executive officer on April 4, is meeting with partners around the U.S. and China this week. He’s visiting stores, roasting plants and support centers in person and virtually to listen, learn and co-create with partners the next chapter of Starbucks. &nbsp;

Collaboration sessions continue over the next several weeks, with Schultz and other senior leaders&nbsp;meeting with&nbsp;partners&nbsp;to hear their perspectives, challenges and ideas to evolve the company, together. In turn, those will inform future investments in partners. 

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Week in pictures: Partners begin co-creating Starbucks next chapter - Starbucks Stories

Week in pictures: Partners begin co-creating Starbucks next chapter

Howard Schultz, who returned to Starbucks as chief executive officer on April 4, is meeting with partners around the U.S. and China this week.

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“Over a cup of coffee, we bring people together. It’s time to celebrate what Starbucks has been, who we are and a reimagining of who we’re going to be.”

At an Open Forum on Monday, April 4, Howard Schultz’s first day back as Starbucks chief executive officer, he spoke to a global audience of an estimated 15,000 partners (employees) where he shared his love for Starbucks and his vision for the future of the company he built.

“[Our partners] have done Herculean things over the last few years. As much as we’ve tried to do, we haven’t done enough. That’s an admission, we have to tell the truth. We will, I promise, do better for our partners,” Schultz said. In a nod to the company’s critics, he boldly declared: “They’re counting us out. But Starbucks best days are ahead of us. I promise you. Write it down.”

“The future of Starbucks, in my view, has to be something like this. We have to reimagine, most importantly the experience for our partners. And what does that mean? It's not just wage. It's the environment in the store. It's the joy. It's the sense of community, its fulfillment,” he said. “We have to reimagine the customer experience. The third place environment which has been such a foundational aspect of the Starbucks Experience all over the world is now somewhat confined by the fact that people are not using our stores the same way. And so all those stores that we have that have big lobbies, they may not be as relevant tomorrow as they have been in the past. We have to redefine, redesign our store experience.”

Suspending stock buybacks to reinvest in partners and stores

As <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/message-from-howard-schultz-on-the-future-of-starbucks/">shared in his letter</a> to partners today, one of the first steps Schultz will make is to suspend the company’s stock repurchase program, effective immediately, to invest in Starbucks partners and stores for long-term growth.

“I am not in business … to make every single decision based on the stock price, or the quarter, or EPS, or adding shareholder value at the expense of our people or our customers.”

On unionization and the need to restore trust and belief

Schultz was more than forthcoming about other areas in need of change. In the midst of a pandemic, a racial reckoning, and political divisions that have eroded trust in public institutions around the world, Starbucks 34,000 stores around the world have not been shielded.

“We're going to do everything we can to ensure the fact that our partners understand the most important elements of everything Starbucks has done and will do is elevating the partner experience. And my job in coming back to Starbucks, is to ensure the fact that we, the collective we, co-create, reimagine a new Starbucks with our partners at the center of it all. As a pro-partner company. A company that does not need someone in between us and our people.”

Connecting &amp; co-creating the future

In the coming weeks, Schultz will be traveling to connect with partners in stores and manufacturing plants around the world to hear first-hand thoughts and ideas about how to build this next Starbucks.

“It is both a return, and a new beginning,” Schultz said. “I have big dreams for all of us, bigger dreams than I had (before) ...It's a return to doing everything we can to put our partners first, especially the partners who are wearing the green apron in our stores. It's a return to the celebration of coffee, something that for whatever reason has kind of been dissipated over the last few years. It's a return to kindness and joy and respect and dignity. It’s a return to the sense of community and the third place that has defined Starbucks for over 50 years.”

Also in the works? A new coffee blend by and for green apron partners, digital innovation through NFTs and plans for continued evolution of partner benefits, with more detail expected in the weeks ahead.

“All I ask of you is to embrace, not a standard of mediocrity, but embrace every step of the way, a standard of excellence,” he said. “… And let's honor everything that Starbucks has stood for for 50 years. And I promise you we're going to come out of here like a goddamn tidal wave.”

Howard Schultz standing, addressing a room of people

“It is a return, and a new beginning,” said Schultz on his first day back as Starbucks ceo. “I have big dreams for all of us, even bigger than before.”

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